Internet of Things (IoT) Archives - Page 10 of 15

Oct 04

Innovation and the Inherent Bias of Technology

By Joe Barkai Innovation, Internet of Things (IoT), IT Strategy, Manufacturing 2 Comments

The Imherent Bias of Technology

“Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral” declared Melvin Kranzberg.

Indeed, not only is technology un-neutral, it has an intrinsic bias. In the process of defining and implementing software to perform certain tasks and solve particular problems, the designers make many assumptions and decisions—most of which are irreversible—about the intended tasks, workflows, work environment, and user profiles. Unintentionally, the marketers and designers of software tools introduce a bias.

Douglas Allchin maintains that in itself this inherent bias does not pose a problem, but it does dictate how the technology is being used, and who can and cannot use it. Consequently, the innate bias influences the ability of the organization to realize the full value of the technology.

Sep 24

IoT, Hummus Containers, and a Heap of e-Waste

By Joe Barkai Internet of Things (IoT) 2 Comments

A Growing Heap of e-Waste

Driven by the insatiable appetite of consumers for new products and fancy gadgets, designers of consumer products and wearable devices flood the market with snazzy gizmos loaded with “cool” (and all too often meaningless) features. But they also face fierce competition in market segments that can become saturated overnight and demographics with a limited spending budget and brand loyalty that can turn on a dime.

These companies strive on what product strategist call “planned obsolescence”: they design their products to become out-of-date, out-of-vogue, or useless within a short period of time. And they design new products with features that entice consumers to purchase a replacement for a perfectly good product that just a short year or two ago was grabbing headlines and getting rave reviews.

Aug 30

IoT Information: Whom Do You Trust?

By Joe Barkai Internet of Things (IoT) One Comment

The Quest for Useful and Credible IoT information

If you believe the headlines from vendors, analysts and business press, the adoption of the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) is going strong and accelerating, and companies in practically every industrial sector are jumping on the IoT bandwagon and investing heavily in developing IoT products and services.
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Jul 15

Section perpendiculaire du moulin des Verdiers (Jean-Jacque Lequeu, 1778)

IoT: Build or Buy?

By Joe Barkai Internet of Things (IoT), IT Strategy No Comments

Should You Build Your IoT Solution or Buy it?

Heard recently on the web: Should you build your own Internet of Things (IoT) or buy it?

As you might expect, the question (and the answer), sponsored by an IoT platform vendor, were self-serving.

Earlier today, I received a note about a research that maintains that more than a 100 new IoT “platforms” have entered the marketplace in the past 12 months alone, fueling fast growth that will exceed $1.5 billion by 2021.

Which makes no sense whatsoever.
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Jun 29

Will Brexit Put the Brakes on British Innovation?

By Joe Barkai Internet of Things (IoT), Manufacturing 3 Comments

The UK to exit the EU: What are the Implications for Tech Companies?

Most analysts agree: the economic consequences of the UK leaving the European Union will be bad, and, in all likelihood, the long-term political implications will be even more dire. For British technology firms the prognosis is no better. Leaving the EU means shortage of skills and limited ability to employ non-UK workers, new trade regulations and tariffs, and uncertainties concerning EU’s data protection directives.

In the chaos of the Brexit we’ve nearly forgotten that one of the primary initiatives of the EU was to catalyze long term economic growth through higher levels of collaboration and deliberate investments in innovation. The EU supports several interlinked programs that provide member states €120 billion over the period 2014 – 2020 for research, development and innovation. The largest program is Horizon 2020 with a budget of just over €70 billion.

After Brexit, UK firms will no longer have easy access to EU research grants. Some are quick to dismiss these grants as they represent only a small fraction of the UK’s technology R&D budget, and point out that the UK is actually a net contributor to the EU budget. Between 2007 and 2013, the UK contributed €77.7 billion to the EU, which amounted to 10.5% of the total EU income from member states, and received €47.5 billion in EU funding (6% of the total).

But they may be missing the point.
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